Our primary research interest is Breast Cancer and Bone Metastasisas breast cancer is the most common cancer in women that metastasises to bone. Despite recent advances, our knowledge of why bone is such a fertile “soil” for tumour cells to home in on remains poor. Our research aims to provide vigorous preclinical data that will facilitate the translation of novel therapeutics to clinical trials for bone metastases.

We have identified a novel method of treating both cancer progression and metastasis, by targeting the body’s natural immune response. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) and eosinophil peroxidase (EPO), well known for their antimicrobial activity, are released in high quantities by infiltrating immune cells in a variety of tumour types, including breast cancer. Our laboratory has shown for the first time that peroxidases are causatively involved in modulating the cancer microenvironment to promote blood vessel development and extracellular matrix biosynthesis. These processes are major hallmarks in cancer progression and as such identify peroxidases as drugable targets for cancer therapy.